Meet our Best Family Craft Blog winner!

21st November 2017suzy Share:FacebookTwitterShare

Homemade lavender wands - autumn craft activities for kids

These lavender wands are a great crafts activity to teach children about the autumn season
Image credit: The Gingerbread House

Come and meet Jenny Kearney of The Gingerbread House. Recently Jenny was named the winner of the Best Family Craft Blog section in our Rex London blog awards.

Her blog is full of wonderful and quirky craft ideas and the tutorials produce achievable things that you’ll actually want to make. Whether it’s a Sylvanian Families snow globe, vintage card bookmarks, or a Minecraft in a Jar gift, Jenny’s ideas will inspire and delight.

But who is the woman behind the blog? We interviewed this creative mum of two to find out more:

How did you get started blogging and how much has your blog changed since it first began?
I started my blog in 2005 and everything changes so much it can be hard to keep up! I like to think I still write about the things which are important to me though – my crafts and bakes!

How do you come up with so many ideas?
I have the longest list of blog post ideas which I keep in a notebook. I have too many ideas and not enough time but I like to refer to my list if I'm having a quiet few days.

What’s the biggest challenge to running a successful blog?
My biggest challenge is time. I try to squeeze everything in whilst my children are at school but I like to share my posts in the evenings and weekends so my readers can know what I'm up to.

What is the single best piece of advice you have ever been given about blogging?
I was at a blogging conference yesterday and someone said it's good to be on every social platform, but don't try to be amazing on every single one. I love Pinterest and Instagram and neglect my Facebook page, as I don't get much interaction from it.

upcycled-playhouse-gingerbread-house

With a blog name like Jenny’s, there’s simply no excuse not to have a gingerbread house, right?
Image: The Gingerbread House

Do you have a favourite blog post from all the craft ideas you’ve published?
That's really hard because I love the crafts I've made, especially the ones with my children. I love upcycling and am pretty proud of the little upcycled gingerbread house I made for my daughter’s Sylvanian collection.

Christmas is fast approaching. Do you have any unusual or special family traditions?
I think we're probably like every other family. We all love Christmas and I've been planning it since September as we have so many family traditions. I'm really looking forward to December 1st when our Advent crate will arrive and our little naughty elf will be making an appearance.

You’re very creative - do you let your children decorate the tree or do you go for a stylish, polished look?
This is a tricky one for me! I let my children decorate the house and tree but I secretly long for a Christmas when I can have a lovely co-ordinated tree and house.

swedish ginger cake in dotcomgiftshop baking cases

It’s not just crafts - try Jenny’s Swedish ginger cake baked in our Christmas baking cases
Image: The Gingerbread House

What have you chosen to buy with your dotcomgiftshop voucher?
I bought loads of stocking fillers for my children. I found some lovely things and can't wait to see their faces when they discover all the cute little rubbers and toys I picked for them. I also treated myself to some adorable festive baking cases that I used to make individual portions of Swedish ginger cake.

Inspiration from dotcomgiftshop...

Looking for some crafty gifts and stocking filler inspiration? We’ve got lots of quirky craft kits and activities you and the kids are bound to enjoy:

Make your own dolls house / kids sewing kit from dotcomgiftshop

Pictured above (left to right): Make Your Own Dolls House - £12.95, Make And Sew Suitcase - £19.95

craft stocking fillers

Pictured above (left to right):
Woodland Animals Pipe Cleaner Set - £2.95, Family Stamp Set - £4.95

Why not get to know more about our dotcomgiftshop Blog Award winners? Check out our interview with Ashely, our Lifestyle Blog Winner, from Lazy Daisy Jones.

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